Blood tests give a picture of health

Want to know how your health is? Your blood has the answer! The blood that circulates through our bodies transports oxygen and nutrients, fights infection and protects and heals us when we get hurt.

It’s no surprise then that our blood acts as a roadmap to our health; blood tests can quickly identify or rule out diseases, identify vitamin deficiencies and screen for illnesses and infections. It’s one of the simplest and most accurate ways to diagnose a wide range of medical conditions.

What we can screen for

Blood tests can be used to screen for a huge range of health concerns, from the general to the specific. Some of the most common reasons for wanting a blood test include: 

• Screening for sexually transmitted infections – A blood test can be used to determine if you have contracted an STD including syphilis, HIV, gonorrhoea and herpes.

• Identifying allergies – A private allergy screening will test your blood against over 500 known allergens from the most common to the most obscure. You can test for everything from food allergies like peanuts and shellfish to environmental allergens such as pollen and dust.

• Checking thyroid function – A blood test can be used to measure your hormone levels and determine whether you have an underactive thyroid, which can change the way your body processes fat.

• Testing for diabetes – The standard diagnosis of diabetes is done through a blood test to show your average blood glucose levels

• Checking your general health – A blood test doesn’t necessarily need to be looking for anything specific – they can also be used to determine your general health by showing how well your liver, kidneys, heart and other organs are functioning.

Booking a blood test

If you want a more comprehensive look at your health as part of a physical assessment or have specific health concerns you want to discuss – such as diabetes, HIV or an underactive thyroid – book in to see one of our GPs in our private practice clinics in Edinburgh or Aberdeen.  

YourGP offer a complete range of blood tests and fast turn around of results to put your mind at ease or rule in or out any potential health concerns.

During a private consultation we’ll take a small sample of blood from your arm and send it directly to our specialist laboratory.   

Once that’s done, results are generally ready within 48 hours and you can phone into the office for the results or receive them via email.  

Use our online booking form to book an appointment, email our reception team at reception@your.gp or call us on 0131 225 5656.